World Rabies Day is held annually on September 28. It is the anniversary of the death of Louis Pasteur, who developed the first rabies vaccine. World Rabies Day is the first and only global advocacy, education, and awareness campaign for rabies.

National Guideline on Rabies Prophylaxis in Nepal 2019

World Rabies Day will;

• Promotes awareness about rabies prevention, and/or
• Reduces rabies transmission (such as vaccinating dogs)

World Rabies Day 2020 theme

The World Rabies Day theme is End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate.

This theme highlights two critical things that will help us achieve global dog-mediated rabies elimination:

• The importance of working together to end rabies – a disease that knows no borders; and
• Vaccinating animals to prevent the disease at its source, whilst also encouraging post-exposure vaccination to save people exposed to potentially rabid animals.

Key facts

• Over 59,000 people die of rabies every year worldwide, and millions more seek
• life-saving treatment.
• Someone dies of rabies every 9 minutes – these deaths can be stopped.
• A child dies every 15 minutes from rabies – save our future by acting now.
• 29 million people seek life-saving treatment to prevent rabies every year.
• It is estimated that around 30,000 cases in pets and more than 100 human rabies cases occur each year with the highest risk are in the Tarai.

Key messages

• We can end human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies by 2030.
• Rabies elimination is possible. Let’s make the possibility a reality by 2030.
• Vaccinating dogs protects people too.
• Vaccinate your dog. Protecting dogs against rabies helps protect you and your family too.
• Immediately wash a bite wound for 15 minutes and consult your doctor about vaccinations.
• Avoid dog bites
• Rabies-related deaths are preventable; simple and low-cost tools and strategies for rabies control and prevention exist.
• 100% of human rabies deaths can be prevented.
• Controlling dog rabies through vaccination will reduce human healthcare costs.
• A Global Strategic Plan has been developed to drive global rabies elimination towards the goal of Zero By 30.
• Rabies is still present in over 150 countries.

Source of information: Global Alliance for Rabies Control, DoHS annual report

• World Rabies Day! Rabies: Vaccinate to Eliminate!
• Rabies: Share the message. Save a life. #WorldRabiesDay
• Fast-track efforts to eliminate rabies: WHO
• Rabies: Zero by 30, World Rabies Day 2017
• ”End Rabies Together” : World Rabies Day
• World Rabies Day : Educate. Vaccinate. Eliminate
• World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day: Beat NTDs: For Good. For All.
• Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Department of Health Services

World Lung Day (WLD) was initiated by the Forum of the International Respiratory Society (FIRS) for lung health advocacy and action. World Lung Day observed each year on 25 September. The WLD is focused to improve and promote better lung health globally.

Respiratory diseases impose an immense worldwide health burden. Globally, 4 million people die prematurely from chronic respiratory diseases which include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, acute lower respiratory tract infections, tuberculosis, and lung cancer. 

2020 World Lung Day

World Lung Day 2020 calls for research to prevent, detect and treat respiratory infections, particularly COVID-19 and TB.

• Health security and prevention of future COVID-19 outbreaks.
• Predictive tests to show who is immune and who will develop disease from novel infections.
• Diagnostic tests to identify and treat those at risk to progress once infected.
• High quality randomised controlled trials to find the best vaccines and treatments.
• Access to effective, affordable vaccines and treatments for all.
• Educating all on the benefits and safety of the Influenza and Pneumococcal vaccines, as well as the COVID-19 vaccine once developed.

Fact Sheet

• Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children and in the elderly.
• Each year almost 700,000 children die from pneumonia.
• Every minute, 2 children die from pneumonia.
• 80 percent of deaths are in children under 2 years and adults above 65 years.
• The most frequently diagnosed cancer is lung cancer (11.6 percent), followed by female breast (11.6 percent) and colorectal cancers (10.2 percent).
• Worldwide lung cancer incidents are on track to increase by 38 percent to 2.89 million by 2030.
• Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer at 1.74 million (18.4 percent), followed by colorectal (9.2 percent) and stomach cancers (8.2 percent).
• Each year there are 10 million new cases of tuberculosis (TB) and 1.5 million deaths.
• Deaths from TB occur mostly in children under 5 years and adults in the 20-35 year age range.
• Over 95 percent of TB deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Source of info: The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS)